That's -31, with a windchill down to -46. My heart sunk. I just knew we'd have losses. Even with bedding and enclosed buildings, at that temperature, it's just not enough.

We lost Elizabeth, James, Hodor, Speckles, Lorelei, Willy, Machu, and Um, and one of the guineas too. I don't even know what to do now. Tonight is supposed to be the same. There's nothing more that I can do, but keep the barn and coop closed up for the night and hope for the best. It's been several years since we had -40, and we lost rabbits then too. But back then they were in a lean-to with nothing but tarps for walls. I had hoped the enclosed buildings would provide more insulation for them.

Today, #4 cried because Elizabeth was her rabbit. She had plans to breed her to Sushi in the spring to see if he carried the Rex gene and could produce Rex coated kits. Now she's asking if she can pick one of the other rabbits to be hers. I told her to wait until spring to see who is still here. We don't usually get this cold until February. I really hope this is it, and that we won't have another round in February.

We have the rabbits on winter rations (full feed bins), and the three in the cages outside seem to be doing alight at this point. I'm not sure why the ones in the barn and coop are dying. They have no wind, enclosed spaces, and bedding.

Knowing that tonight will also be bitterly cold, I made the decision to bring Wisp in the house. We fought hard to get her to survive when she was tiny, and I couldn't leave her outside to potentially freeze. She is the smallest bunny out there. Today she is in the house, where she will remain until she finds a home or until the spring weather outside allows her to go back out.

The future is looking bleak for the two kits in the nest box right now. Their momma was among the losses this morning. #3 tried to foster them on to MoR (who is supposed to have babies any day now), and Lady Mo (who lost her single kit just a few days ago). Despite having time with both moms twice today, it doesn't look like either kit actually got a meal.

For now I'm reluctantly hoping that MoR delivers her kits tonight and has milk soon enough to save the two inside. Unfortunately, with temps like this, if she delivers out there, there's no way those kits will survive. It's just too cold. It's going to be losses both ways at this point I'm afraid.

What a hard way to end the year.

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Refusing to end the year on a sour note, I am determined to remain positive. When #3 came in with Wisp, I had to snap a photo. She's got a full mohawk between her ears!

Wisp

Wisp is so soft, her fur is fine and long. She reminds me of the angora rabbits we used to have. This worries me a bit because I was also deathly allergic to them (which is why we don't have them anymore). It seems she has the same fur issue they did. Everything gets stuck in her fur and starts to mat. I'm still picking pieces of pine bedding out of her belly fur.

Now that she is in the house, she can no longer be sold as an outdoor pet, which is great because I really want her to be someone's indoor pet. She's fantastic, well socialized, and so incredibly soft. If I wasn't allergic to rabbits, I'd strongly consider keeping her as our own indoor pet.

I even took a photo of Wisp and Moose together.

Moose and Wisp

2017 had many twists and turns, come curve balls, and definitely some beautiful moments too. We were devastated when our house flooded, and frustrated living in a hotel for 11 weeks. We were elated and a little nervous when we signed on the dotted line, got the keys, and moved into our new home. The kids have taken the move in stride, making new friends and fitting in to their new schools seamlessly. While we continue to struggle with finances, we are so much happier here on the homestead. That makes it all better.

In 2018 I am looking forward to our first official garden on the homestead (may it get bigger and better every year). I am looking forward to learning to can our harvests so they can last us through the winter and beyond. I am looking forward to finding new ways to make some money to help pay the bills. I will be making some major changes to the rabbits we're breeding this next year, and I hope the tweaks and fixes correct some issues on my part. I'm hoping the new year brings our family even closer, that we enjoy time together, make memories, share fun experiences, and learn along the way. And in 2018, I hope you will join us on our adventures in homesteading, raising kids, and finding our own way to do things. I'm hoping to make videos a part of 2018, but I've got to figure out video editing first.

I'm heartbroken writing this tonight. I spent the night at my parents' house last night after spending most of the day wrapping presents. This morning Tony called me saying #3 was in a panic because a duck was missing. How many are we supposed to have? Nine. There are nine... He said he was putting on his winter gear to go outside.

​He called back several minutes later to confirm. One dead duck under the car, dog tracks all over the place. The fence broken down again so the ducks were out and the goose was still in the barn. The duck was mangled. Our precious Leonardo, one of our very first ducks that came to us on October 1.

My heart broke. Did my dog do this? How could this be? He has been so good about leaving the livestock alone. Was it because the kids let him out unattended for his morning potty break? What happened? I was told the cats seemed to have dragged the duck under the car because they were under there munching on it. No way our big beast of a dog could have gotten under the car.

The bunny chores got done, and the family came out to my parents' house for Christmas Eve dinner. We opened some gifts, enjoyed a meal, played with their new dog, and headed home.

We were greeted with more carnage. Another duck, headless in the yard. My heart sank. It was Tweak. Leonardo's brother. And Moose had been in the house the entire time. The kids tracked the foot prints to a den behind the garage. We suspect a raccoon. The dog prints all over this morning were probably Moose following the raccoon scent or chasing it off.

Tonight the remaining seven ducks, Josh the goose, Phil and Big Red the roosters, and Bert and Ernie the guineas are locked in the bunny barn. We closed the garage door and retired the fence panel. If the raccoon or whatever it is can tip the fencing, it's no longer safe to use it.

The chicken coop will be locked up as well. From here on out, if we can't be home at dusk to make sure all of the animals are put away right away, we will have to lock them up before we leave.

I'm also going to buy a live trap for a raccoon as soon as our budget permits. I consider it a top priority.

This evening we found Luna investigating the duck carcass, and after several minutes of frantic searching the kids were able to find Gypsy too. Thankfully both were alive and well. Tonight they are sleeping in the entry way/porch.

Tonight it's supposed to get down to -16 (less than -30 with wind chill factored in). Tomorrow the high is expected to be -9, with tomorrow night dipping to -21. The next few days is going to be brutal. We probably will not see above freezing temperatures again until March or April now.

In better news, today we sold four rabbits. I had hoped to spend that money on rabbit food for January, but perhaps that will be used to buy a live trap instead.

We woke up to a light layer of snow outside. Enough to coat the car, but not hide the leaves on the ground. It's interesting to see where all of the duck and goose foot prints lead around the yard, and where the main traffic is. It never occurred to me how much bigger Josh's goose feet are than the ducks' feet until I was looking at the prints in the snow today.

Well, I didn't get to slaughtering today either. Instead I took the last two from the big grow out cage and brought them to the basement with the other three. Yes, I now have five semi-adult rabbits living in my basement until I can get to actually processing them. Then I moved all the remaining weaned buck kits from the U and V litters, and little Boon (who isn't so little anymore) to the now empty buck grow out pen. The idea being that now (or once the five in the basement go), the three cages that now only have one momma rabbit and no additional babies, will go from a full bin of food to a measured amount of food, thus saving me money on my food bill. In the meantime, I have five rabbits enjoying the warmth in my basement.

On the good side, Luna started using her foot again a few days ago. That's a good sign. I was starting to worry about her, but she kept using it to climb trees and the screen door, and then not walking on it, but then using it to jump up and down off shelves in the bunny barn. She must be feeling better now.

We got one brown egg today in the nest box (Henrietta).

Blurry photo of Moose, by the tree, draped in the curtain.

I had an idea to make some crochet coasters, but I wanted to see how well they'd work first. I made my first prototype. It looks nice, good size, but I haven't had any spills or any condensation to really test it. I do like the idea of it being washable though. Then when I did a Google search, come to find out crochet coasters are a thing - and they come in all kinds of cutesy designs if you know how to read a pattern (which I don't). So my double thick squares are a bit different than the ones I'm seeing. Maybe I'm on to something.

In the mail today I got the seed swap seeds back. I was pleasantly surprised that about half of the seeds are new-to-me varieties (a real challenge considering our extensive collection). I have updated the seed list accordingly. Thank you to those who participated in the swap this year! I'm certainly going to be planting some of these next year!

And a wild thought. I know there are "YouTube celebrities" out there that are famous for playing video games - which for some reason people find more interesting to watch than playing the games themselves... And there are plenty of how-to videos, and videos of some pretty mundane things too. I wonder if there would be any interest in doing a long video of just me crocheting something. I suppose it would be the crafter's version of the gaming craze - watching someone else make something. Why not? If I had a quiet moment to do it, I wouldn't mind, but my house tends to be loud and a lot going on at any given time (I do have a three year old after all).

Wednesday is Christmas Cookie Baking Day... The day when my mom and her sisters, and I all get together and bake our Christmas cookies all together, then split them up and bring them all home. It's always something I've kind of looked forward to, but with my recent dietary issues (seriously, I'm practically allergic to digestion at this point), it means I'll have to really limit myself on what I taste, and since almost every recipe calls for some kind of dairy product... well, it might not be as fun this year as in previous years. Maybe next year I will remember to ask about substituting Lactaid instead of cow milk - but this year the ingredients have already been purchased. It should be a fun day anyway as I will have #5 with me - and he loves to help! I just hope my aunts can have some patience with him as he tries to help in his own way. They don't believe in Aspergers, which makes it that much harder to prevent or deal with outbursts and meltdowns. Oh well, We will be going home with cookies, so it's all good.

In a wonderful turn of events, our dear Lady Mo has returned! She had dug a big hole and then back-filled it, so it looked like freshly dug ground, but there was no hole to be found. She came out of her tunnel this morning. She's missing the fur between her front legs and some down her belly. I know she's got kits down there, but I have no way of getting to them. I hope they survive largely on their own. I will let nature take care of this one. Lady Mo came in and ate, she's been with the coop herd all day, and as of this afternoon she and the nursing momma took turns burying the hole again. Tonight Lady Mo is in the coop with the other rabbits. She has made no attempt to reopen the tunnel since this afternoon. I waited until well past dark to close up the coop to give her every opportunity I could to go and nurse them this evening. I have no way of checking on them to see if they're even alive or not. Frustrating, but part of raising rabbits in a colony with dirt available for digging.

Kin and Lady Mo

Since her triumphant return, Lady Mo has spent a lot of her time chasing the spotted doe around. The spotted doe came from a different place, so isn't one that Lady Mo originally came here with, but they had largely worked out their differences prior to Lady Mo's disappearance a few days ago. The spotted doe is the mother of the three young kits still being shelved. She will not nurse them though, so they are being nursed on MoR, the other Dutch cross doe (Lady Mo's sister). For some reason, Lady Mo does not like the spotted doe.

In turn, the spotted doe spent most of her afternoon trying to sneak out to the yard to mess with the nest hole. Several times MoR or Lady Mo came and chased her away, before they finally filled the hole in.

I'm all for giving second chances, but if the spotted doe doesn't step it up next litter, she's going to have to go. It was her first litter, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, but if the other doe doesn't like her, and she isn't a good momma, there's no reason to keep her around. I'd just as soon put Boon's momma back in there and just have the three Dutch cross sisters as the entire female force of the colony.

Spotted doe, trying to get at the nest hole of Lady Mo.

The three older shelved kits that were returned to the coop yesterday are doing well. All three can now get up the big step behind the coop door, and they have discovered the water dish. Though Machu Picchu doesn't quite understand the concept. He did figure out how to drink while standing outside the bowl when I filled the bowl completely full again. They sure do know how to make their dish dirty too! It was clean when I filled it this morning, but then one of the rabbits decided to dig next to it and kicked dirt in it. I had to clean it out again to refill it this evening. They're still not as messy as the ducks though. The ducks will leave mud in the bottom of the water dish every day. Theirs has to be cleaned out constantly!

Tony, #3, and I added chicken wire around the bottom portion of the kennel fencing to keep the ruins litter in. They could walk right out through the kennel bars. A note here - if you decided to do a system like this, please remember that chicken wire will not protect your animals from predators! A predator can easily tear through chicken wire! We added it strictly as a way to keep baby bunnies in. The kennel itself is the predator protection.

Chicken wire added to the bottom half of the kennel fencing.

While we worked on the coop, Sterling and Turducken patrolled the area. He's our dominant rooster and he watches over his hens all day long. He's such a handsome boy. Still no idea what breed he is, but he's handsome. And what big comb and waddles he has! Unfortunately the tips of his comb look like he's gotten frostbite. Odd since we haven't had any really horribly cold nights yet. A few quick searches brings up the best prevention - choosing breeds with small waddle and combs for northern keepers. Well, guess we failed there.

Our other big rooster is Big Red, and he has nearly caught up with Sterling on size. He's still a smidge smaller. Big Red would like to be the dominant rooster, and has tried a few times to breed with the hens, but Sterling is quick to chase him away as soon as he starts harassing the ladies. So Big Red bides his time with Phil. Largely, I believe, because Phil is submissive and lets Big Red crow and strut and eat first in the bunny barn.

Big Red

Then there's little Phil. He's clearly some sort of cochin or whatever people call miniature or dwarf chickens. He's got feathered legs and he's about the size of the two silkie roosters. Phil can fly though, which the silkie roos can not. The silkie roosters spend their days in the coop or in the yard attached to the coop, unable to fly over the four foot fence to free range. Phil spends his days free ranging the yard, or hanging out in the bunny barn during bad weather. He roosts up in the rafters or on the end of the garage door track. He doesn't go to the chicken coop, and doesn't interact with the hens ever. He does seem to hang out with Big Red, or maybe Big Red hangs out with him. Sometimes it's hard to tell who is leading and who is following.

Phil is great fun to watch. When he runs he kicks his feet out slightly to the sides, and with his leg feathers, it almost looks like he's dancing while wearing bell bottoms. He's a sweet rooster though, and is easy to catch and handle (though he's not happy about it). This makes him my favorite (but shhh - don't tell Sterling).

Phil

Turducken is an interesting bird. She's smaller than our other two hens. Henrietta is a barred rock, and Boss Lady is an Easter Egger. Turducken is a naked neck (also known as a turken). My initial chicken research last year had me believe that naked necks were only good for meat production, but Turducken lays eggs almost every day. She's not very big, which would seem counter productive to use her as a meat bird. In the photo below you can see her free ranging next to the fence, and one of the silkie roosters in the pen. They're roughly the same size (about 15 inches if measuring based on the height of the fence). And of course Kin, the rabbit, is in there too, but he's rather large.

The entire time I'm working on bunny and chicken chores, Moose follows me around, dropping his frisbee at my feet. This dog loves nothing in the world more than chasing a frisbee. Today I was blindly throwing the frisbee to get him away while I was working on connecting the chicken wire to the kennel, and apparently he was too focused on the frisbee... He ran over Luna on his blind chase to retrieve the frisbee. She wasn't hurt, just startled. I was more careful about what direction I was throwing it from then on. He will literally chase the frisbee until he's so out of breath he can hardly breath, frothing drool, and will still want me to throw it again. We have to play in moderation so he doesn't end up giving himself a heart attack or something.

Moose (fka Aspie) and his frisbee

The barn kitties have been spending their nights in the porch. They have access to a water bowl and a litter box, and a cardboard box to sleep in. It's insulated but not heated. They choose this over the barn that is not insulated or heated, but has food and water and a cardboard box with blankets to snuggle in. It's not even that cold tonight, but after evening chores were done they were quick to follow me in for the night.

Gypsy

The views over the lake today were nice. While today was mostly cloudy, I got a few nice scenic shots.

A cloudy day is still beautiful here

And sunset was beautiful, as it tends to be here on our little piece of heaven. It's hard not to feel completely blessed every single day here. The beauty of Mother Nature is found in everything here, if you just look. And sometimes, the sunset just takes your breath away. Today it was bright pink with purple clouds.

I made a short video this morning of the ruins litter playing in the living room. They are adorable.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving already. It's one of the busiest travel times of the year as people gather with family. It's a curious time for me. It seems that so many people spend their lives, day after day, taking things for granted. Then, as if by some magical force, November rolls around, and people take to social media to post things they are thankful for. We spend a day with family, some people reflect on all of their blessings over the past year, and then after sleeping off a food coma, American society collectively looses it's mind, and becomes the most consumer-driven black hole since the year prior. People fist fight over the hottest new toys, death threats are made over the products with the best sale prices, and so many people who really can't afford it will rack up even more credit card debt in order to fulfill this ever encompassing need to buy expensive things for their loved ones, as some strange way to prove their devotion. I don't get it.

I'm thankful every day. Every single day, no matter how hard the day is, no matter how awful I might feel, or what heartbreak is in the news or in my own life, I find something to be thankful for. It's a foreign concept to me to only reflect and be thankful for a few days of the year. Perhaps if more people found just one thing, everyday, to be thankful for, the world would be a better place. I mean, be thankful for a cool breeze on a warm day, or be thankful that you have a roof over your head. Be thankful for the beautiful flower that you pass by as you go to get your mail. Be thankful that your children are healthy, for your ability to walk, or that you have food on your table. Be thankful for time spent with loved ones, be thankful for a small kindness from a stranger, and be thankful even on the coldest days in winter for the beauty of the snowflakes as they swirl to the ground. Engage with your world with the delight of a child, find beauty in everything, and be thankful always.

As for Black Friday sales, you won't see me out shopping any of them. I admit I did buy my mother a gift, one she specifically pointed out months ago, that I picked up and have been storing in the blanket closet for a couple months. I'm not sure what I will do for my dad and my brother yet. My handmade gifts tend to be simplistic and aimed more toward women. I have handmade earrings and jewelry, I can make pot holders, dish clothes, and soap scrubbies with yarn, and I can make cat toys. Nothing I suppose either of my male relatives would be thrilled to receive. Last year I gifted my brother with some home grown dried hot lemon peppers. Some dried whole or halved, and some that I ground up with my mortar and pestle. With the garden a flop this year, that's not much of an option for this year.

I'm sure I can come up with something interesting and either homemade or upcycled. I do have treats for my parents' dogs and my brother's dog (home made of course, and tested on our very own Moose).

As a child, my grandmother always gave me a pair of mittens that she had made by hand. Unfortunately Alzheimer's took her mind before I got the chance to learn how to make them. She taught me to make a pot holder, and from there I have been able to modify the same pattern to make dish cloths, soap scrubbies, and hats and tube socks. I miss getting handmade mittens every year. The lessons to create something myself cost her nothing but her time, and I find it to be incredibly valuable now as an adult.

This year I would encourage everyone to start thinking outside the box. ​Some nice gift ideas you might consider:

A handmade ornament. Use pine cones, hollowed out eggs, or fabric scraps. Incorporate old toys or re-purposed broken bits from other things.

A nice photo. One of my most well received gifts was a photo of a friend's dog that had recently passed away. The frame was $1 at the dollar store and the photo cost something like 37-cents to print at a local photo center.

Something re-purposed to be useful again. That pair of puddle boots your kid outgrew? Drill some holes in the bottom, fill them with potting soil, and add a plant. Excellent gift for grandparents!

Seeds and plants - these can encourage a budding gardener, or bring joy to an elderly person who can't maintain a garden anymore. Never underestimate the power of a potted plant. Edible plants (Rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, etc.) make excellent gifts, so don't box yourself into thinking flowers or house plants are the only options. Plant seeds now to have seedlings to give for Christmas.

Something hand crafted. Perhaps you're good at making jewelry, or blankets, or candles, or painting, or something else. A handmade gift is often more cherished than commercially purchased gifts because your time and energy went in to making it. Homemade gifts are not readily replaceable, and it gives you a degree of options to make each piece a little unique for the person it's intended for.

Your time. Something many people overlook is something completely priceless. My grandma took the time to teach me to crochet, and that has become a valuable asset to me. An old neighbor showed me how to cross stitch. My mother-in-law taught me how to turn things inside-out to add batting to make quilts. My grandfather taught me to play cribbage. All of these things cost nothing but someone's time. If you have nothing to teach, no skill to share, then spend time and share your story. I remember the stories my grandma would tell about her childhood, and from her rambling (and often repeated) stories she told while deep into Alzheimer's, I was able to track down a long-lost family member I didn't even know existed, which opened up a whole new point of view for my extended family, and became a wonderful learning tool, even after my grandma had passed away. Don't underestimate the power of time spent with someone. Even if it's just baking cookies with your kids or grandkids, or the kid down the street who doesn't have someone there to teach them to bake. Sharing your time can make worlds of difference that you may not even know.

This morning I sent seven bunnies off with Tony on his way to work. He met someone on the way to swap six of the bunnies for two wire cages. I haven't had a chance to go look at the cages, but I'm told at least one is in rough shape and will need repairs before it can be used. Still, a good deal I think. Six fewer mouths to feed and some more space to put the remaining bunnies.

Today the kids took the three older shelved kits and released them in the living room. They were running and kicking their heels up and playing. It was fun to watch. I'm sure they enjoyed having the space to hop around too. I was a little worried that Moose might think they were something to play with, and while he was excited to have them out and about, he did not chase or paw at them at all. In fact at one point the little brown kit came right up to Moose. Moose was sitting and leaned his head down, and the tiny bunny sat on his back legs, leaned up, and they touched noses for a moment. I wish I'd have gotten a photo; it was priceless.

Dinner was my attempt at crock pot chicken soup with no recipe and limited ingredients. I had a package of frozen chicken tenderloin, potatoes, half an onion, leftover apples from the tree, a handful of fresh thyme, a clove of garlic, and I added a dash of oregano with the salt and pepper for good measure. It smelled really good. I made rice to go with it just in case we needed more filler. It was so bland though. My mom came by for dinner, and suggested chicken bouillon. How did I forget that? So I added some after we had all dished up (of course). I had hoped it would improve the flavor for Tony when he got off work. He just said "It's missing something." so I guess at least it wasn't bland anymore. I used nearly an entire clove of garlic, and it didn't come through at all in the flavor. In fact, you couldn't taste the thyme, the apples, nothing. It was just flavorless texture in your mouth. Ugh! I have got to figure out how to use herbs and spices! Better luck next time I guess. It was at least better than my last crock pot meal - Barbecue rabbit soup... Don't mix herbs and BBQ sauce into a soup... It doesn't work.

The oldest two kids went off to a school dance tonight. Both came back with a poor attitude, both blaming the other for their bad mood. Well guess who isn't going to be getting money to go to school extra-curricular activities next time?

The younger kids were in bed early tonight. #5 was in full blown meltdown mode by 7:30pm. He got up early today, and because he's three, he doesn't believe in naps anymore. Every time I try to lay down with him, I fall asleep, so that's not an option. My mom left at 7:45 or so, and by 8pm I had #5 laying down. By 8:15 I was rubbing his back and he was drifting off. At 9:45 the phone woke me up - Tony was off work. Darn it, I fell asleep again! I must be sleep deprived or something (five kids - go figure). Both of the girls (#3 and #4) were asleep when I crept out of the room around 10:45pm to get on the computer and write my blog for the night.

So now, at 11:42pm, the house is quiet. Kids are all asleep, bunnies have settled in for the night, the dog is snoring, and I am ready to go to bed. For real this time.

I feel like I got a lot done today. Kids made it out to the bus on time, despite a late start. Ducks and goose were released from the barn, little bunny was briefly reintroduced to his momma, then put on Alice to make sure he got enough to eat. Checked for eggs (still none), picked up apples under the tree, got caught up on dishes and laundry. Swapped a couple jars of feet and tails around to continue processing, and got some into the dehydrator. And all before 2pm.

I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with #5. He gets so lonely some days with all of his siblings off at school. He asks all the time how much longer until they get home. He's such a sweetheart, but definitely a momma's boy.

Tony stopped by the store on his way home to pick up some more groceries. All the basics like rice and sugar, salt and apple juice. The necessities. #5 is always happy when dad comes home before bed time because it means he gets to hang out with him.

Tonight bunny chores were a bit of a challenge. I didn't get out to do the chores until after dark, which meant the temperature was already dropping. It was 34 degrees according to the Weather Channel when I went out. By the time I'd fed everyone and went to refill the water bucket, the temperature must have dipped below freezing because the hose was frozen. Tony came out and disconnected it from the outside faucet to prevent any damage, and from now on I'll have to carry the bucket in the house, fill it in the utility sink, and haul it out to refill rabbit, chicken, and duck water containers. This may mean the end of the kiddie pool for the season, as I won't be able to refill it now, and I won't allow Josh and the ducks to have nasty dirty water either. Maybe we can reconnect the hose tomorrow once it warms up. It's supposed to get below freezing tomorrow night again, but then hover in the mid-30's to low 40's for the next several nights.

I have named the little nest box bunny Boon. I don't know if Boon is a buck or a doe, I don't know if he (we refer to Boon as male for the time being) will even survive. It seems the odds are stacked against him. I've never shelved kits before, his momma is pretty much dried up and won't likely keep a milk supply nursing just a single kit, Alice's babies are on the verge of leaving the nest box and tasting pellet feed, which will mean her milk will start to decrease as well, and while we do have two potential litters due in the next few days, I have not been successful with fostering kits to other mommas in the past. Despite it all, tonight Boon is tucked in under his momma's fur in the nest box, snuggled up in the kitchen, with what appears to be a full tummy. His mom does jump into the nest box and appears to be taking care of him when I put the nest box out there in the morning and in the evening. I am hoping for the best for this little guy (or gal). In the meantime, the kids peek in the nest box after school to see how he's doing, and #5 held him for a little while today, but otherwise we largely leave him alone in there. He seems to stay warm enough in his little nest without any additional heat sources aside from the ambient temperature in the house. My biggest surprise is that Moose is leaving him alone. I thought for sure I'd have to hide the nest box from Moose, but once I told him no when he initially sniffed at it, he's pretty much ignored the nest box, despite it being right at nose level for him. Of course the cats are not allowed to meet Boon, or Boon would become a snack. Mabel is an excellent mouser, and she doesn't discriminate between gerbil, mouse, or baby bunny - I'm sure she'd make quick work of Boon.

Sunrise on the homestead

Tomorrow is Tony's day off this week. We have to go back to the old house and clean up the yard in preparation for winter. I guess the city is complaining about it. After a couple weeks with lots of rain, and Tony's weird work schedule, he's only been able to mow it recently. He can't mow it when he gets off of a late shift, and it was raining every single day he got off early for a while. We still have the remnants of the container garden that didn't get moved over, and the old bunny barn looks bad with all the tarps and cages removed. It's going to be a lot of work tomorrow. I also hope to dig up some of the plants I plan to take with to the new house. My rhubarb plants, the black raspberries, some of the irises, perhaps some of the strawberry plants too, since Josh destroyed the ones I brought with.

And now I suffer a strange Asperger's-specific emotional issue. Asperger's sufferers have a strange tendency to become emotionally attached to items. Our previous vehicle was given to us by Tony's mom, who passed away a few years ago. I strongly associate her with the vehicle (it was hers before she gave it to us when she got a new one), and therefore I do not want to part with it. It does not run, the insurance has repaired it enough times over the years that they have deemed it "totaled out" which I guess is code for "not worth fixing anymore." The engine died last fall, and we were unable to get it going again. That's when we bought our current vehicle, and parked the old one. Tony wants to call a scrapper tomorrow to have it hauled away. He does not have any emotional attachment to the vehicle. It's broken, it can't be fixed, the tabs are expired, we haven't been able to use it (aside from storage) for over a year now, and he has no interest in hiring someone to haul it to the new house. I asked if we could bring it here, take the seats out, and modify it to be a chicken coop. I've seen old buses re-purposed as chicken or goat houses, so I'm sure it would work... but alas, he disagrees, and since legally the vehicle belongs to him - I'm left depressed to the point of tears over something that nobody seems to understand. I realize it's just a broken old vehicle, and that my mother-in-law's memory lives on through us, but for whatever reason, my Asperger's mind has twisted the emotional cord around it, and now I'm upset to scrap the old vehicle.

As planned, we picked up some more critters today. Three silkie roosters, two guineas, two big roosters, two smaller chickens (possibly hens?), two dutch cross rabbit does, a dutch cross buck rabbit, a small white buck rabbit, and a pair of ducks.

Pair of ducks, unknown breed

The ducks were put in the bunny barn, locked in the travel carrier for the day. Leonardo and Tweak were excited to meet them and several times throughout the day I saw them stop by the carrier and chat with the new ducks. This evening when Josh and the ducks got put in the barn for the night, I opened up the travel carrier and let the new ducks out. I figure this will give them all night to get to know one another in the safe confines of the barn, after having all day to talk through the carrier door. As expected Josh was a little overly aggressive - just to be sure he's the boss. But Leonardo and Tweak love the new brown duck a little too much perhaps. She is obviously a lady, and the boys have not been around one since they arrived here. I was thinking perhaps since they're a different breed, they'd leave her alone. Alas, that is not how things work. I'm not sure if I need to invest in more female ducks, or find homes for some male ducks. I will see what tomorrow brings. They will be staying in the barn tomorrow just to help the two newbies understand that this is home now. Perhaps this weekend we can let them all out together to see how things go. They were hard to separate from their duck/goose flock at the previous farm, so I hope they bond with Josh, Leonardo, and Tweak here. And that the boys don't overburden the lady before I'm able to find more lady ducks. Otherwise I may have to catch and move the new pair to the chicken coop.

Two guineas and one of the big roosters

The two guineas, two big roosters, three silkie roosters, and one of the two that might be a hen all went into the chicken coop with the original three hens we brought home Sunday from the same place. The one red hen made a break for it while Tony was trying to get a rooster out of the cage, and we were unable to catch her. Moose would like very much to eat her, but has been told several times NO... I don't know if she will survive the night alone out on her own. I hope so. I hope she returns in the morning, but if she doesn't, then I'll know we at least tried to catch her.

Three silkie roosters, and what may be another hen

The three dutch cross bunnies all looked nearly identical today, except for this one who has a bit of a mohawk going on. The lady sad they are crossed with lionhead, which gives them weird head fur. This one is most noticeable. I call her Lady Mo for now. She's an early favorite. She is currently housed in the chicken coop with the other dutch cross doe we picked up today, the dutch cross buck we got on Sunday, and the mystery breed doe we picked up yesterday.

"Lady Mo" the Dutch / Lionhead doe with a mohawk

Where is the doe we picked up on Sunday you might ask. I moved her to a cage after I discovered her five little gifts she'd so carefully nestled in fur in the chicken coop. There's one black, one white, two black and white dutch, and one brown and white dutch. Not sure who the father is, or if they'll have lionhead fur or look more like a pure dutch.

Dutch cross kits born this morning - one black, one white, two black/white dutch marked, and one brown/white dutch marked.

And of course, as promised - photos of the bunnies we took in yesterday! There are two black and white, one buck, one doe.

Buck rabbit, unknown breed

I'm not sure what breed they are, but I assume some kind of cross. They're too small to be purebred New Zealand, they don't have the right fur to be satin or rex, up ears eliminates lop genetics, and no long hair means not angora, Jersey wooly, or lionhead.

Doe rabbit, unknown breed

The third rabbit has a beautiful eye-catching coat. I have no idea what breed he is, but he's gorgeous. If anyone recognizes this color or breed, please let me know! I'd like to know how big he will get, and if he gets big enough, I'd be interested in keeping him as a breeder. I just can't get in to smaller breeds. He's adorable though, and so soft and cuddly. I suspect Creme d'Argent, as the lady said he was more orange as a baby, and is now more "silver" and I know the argente rabbits change color. Anyone have a proper breed ID on this fella?

Buck rabbit, unknown breed. Isn't he gorgeous?

No new eggs today. Hoping for another one tomorrow though. Every other day seems to be the pattern for the Easter Egger hen.

The chickens did just fine overnight in their new house. This morning I found two up in the rafters (about head level), and one hanging out on the desk (yes, there are two desks in there). Later the bigger hen had settled in the travel kennel, and I hoped she was preparing to lay an egg. A couple hours later #3 and I peeked in again and sure enough... One day after arriving, we've been blessed with our very first farm fresh egg!

Already earning her keep!

I'm hoping the other two hens feel like gracing the unofficial nest box soon too. Perhaps Tony will re-think their fate. I had originally intended to eat them, but what are the odds we'd get only hens, and an egg right away too? We're supposed to pick up more on Thursday. I'm fine with eating the roosters...

Turducken (naked neck chicken) and the barred rock hen, up in the rafters.

Yet I know what he'll say. I did the research. Chicken manure is a "hot" manure that needs to sit for months before it can be applied to the garden. They will destroy a garden and eat the grass right down to dirt. They can carry cocciosis, which is contagious to other animals and people. They stink. And I can't eat eggs anyway - though the kids love eggs. When it comes down to it, female Indian Runner ducks seemed a better match for us... and then I went and bought two males. No eggs that way! And the (also male) goose destroyed my garden anyway.

Further research suggests that if the shavings in the bottom of the coop are deep enough, you won't have a smell problem, and you can pull them all out in spring to compost them over summer. I don't think he'll be sold on the idea though. I'm trying really hard not to name the two prettier hens... But Henrietta, Olga, Ernestine, Frances, Pearl, Agnes, Ruth, Winifred, and even Omeletta have come to mind. But for right now, I just call them "beautiful" - "Hey beautiful, what are you up to?" Except the naked neck. Her name is definitely Turducken.

Both rabbits are also living in the coop for now. The doe is pretty, and because she's been with a buck, I feel the need to wait to see if/when she has kits. Because they are in a completely separate building, if she has kits, and assuming the chickens do not immediately peck them to death (I do plan on putting a hidden box in for them, but the chickens could likely access it too), they would not be contaminated with whatever is in the other barn.

Dutch cross buck, he likes to jump up on the little shelf edge of the wall to get up off the ground.

Little Luna is still adjusting to life here. She was in a garage / workshop before, so used to being outside, but she cries a lot. I think Gypsy did too when she first arrived. Today Luna met Moose. She wasn't afraid of him at all, and he was excited to meet her.

Luna meets Moose

Gypsy remains displeased with the new minion. The photo below is hilarious because I actually caught her glaring at Luna. They pretty much exist in the barn together but not near one another (unless we put them near each other). I have been trying to hold them both at the same time and give them extra attention, so they associate one another with good things. Gypsy continues to hiss and snarl if Luna attempts to eat when she's nearby. Tonight they are again in the cat carrier together for the night.

This photo really sums up how Gypsy feels about Luna.

Upon further research, I believe the hens are one barred rock, one naked neck, and one Easter Egger (or Ameraucana cross). No way to know for sure, but that's what I suspect anyway.

I did have to cull the one sick kit in Penelope's litter today, but otherwise, most of the bunnies are now symptom-free, or symptoms are improving. If the healthy bunnies remain symptom free, they will be available again 10/30. If the quarantine section isn't 100% healthy by then, they will be culled and their cages and that whole corner of the barn will be sanitized. They will be available after they have been symptom free for at least 30 days (11/29 at the latest). It seems like the comfrey is helping. The one sick kit in Penelope's litter had something else wrong with it. Her head would vibrate every time we petted her. Seems like whatever caused the neurological deficit may have also contributed to a poorer immune system. It's the only bunny in the barn who hasn't improved with the addition of the comfrey.

Kids were up on time, and we crossed the railroad tracks shortly before a train went by as we waited for the bus. Thankfully it didn't stop over the driveway this time so I was able to get back to the house.

I sanitized the cooler the bunnies had been soaking in, and changed out the water in the jar with the feet. Then I went back to lay down for a while before #5 woke up. Of course as soon as I laid down he woke up and came in. By some stroke of luck he wanted to cuddle, and we snuggled up and napped together for several more hours. I love when we can cuddle and nap together!

When we finally got up, I started a mixed crock pot dinner. I added the chicken legs I'd thawed out, the rabbit innards (livers, kidneys and hearts), vegetables, and some seasoning, then added in the chicken breasts Tony brought home. It turned out pretty well. Nobody complained anyway.

The ducks and the goose were already in the barn when I went out to close everything up. Gypsy is doing better with the routine at night when she gets left behind. She used to cry when we left the barn, but now she seems to understand that it's bed time. The birds are also picking up on this and are quiet when I close up the barn.

Today Tony insisted that Moose would be fine off leash with the birds in the yard. He's half black Labrador retriever, and half Olde English bulldogge. He gets too excited when he's around the rabbits, so he's trained to stay out of the bunny barn. He gets excited to see the birds when they're flapping and strutting and calling out in the yard, so he's been stuck on the tie out for potty breaks since the birds were allowed out of the barn for the first time.

Admittedly, today Moose did well. A couple of times he looked like he was going to chase them, but he didn't. This evening he came running up the driveway after one of the kids on their bike, saw me in the barn, changed course to come and see me, didn't even notice Josh and the ducks beside the barn door, and got squawked at by Josh. It seemed to startle him, and then he wandered off away from Josh and the ducks. I don't think that I'd let Moose out unattended, or if the birds were up by the house just yet, but today he didn't chase or kill anything. Perhaps there is hope for Moose being a farm dog yet.

Today's harvest

Today I got two eggplants, one yellow tomato, and one yellow zucchini from the garden. It's been a meager year due to all the issues with the flood and moving, but there is some food being produced.

​I took one eggplant, diced it up, and added it to the crock pot dinner. All of the kids ate it without complaint. They had no idea it was in there. Success!

GRAPHIC IMAGE WARNING - Below I discuss processing the feet and tails of butchered rabbits. This is meant as a way to make use of more of the rabbit and to honor their lives. Some people may find an image of the processing progress uncomfortable, unpleasant, or gross. These animals were humanely raised and humanely dispatched for human consumption. We are attempting to use as much as we can so as not to be wasteful. If you don't want to see or read about the process of making "lucky" rabbits feet, please stop now.

If you are interested in the process I am using to treat and preserve rabbit feet, please read on.

Two tails, four back feet, and four front feet.

For anyone wondering about the feet, here's a half-way update. Step one was to put the feet in a jar of 70% rubbing alcohol (completely submerged) for two days. Step two was to rinse the feet off, which I did this morning (see photo above of rinsed feet). Third step is to fill a jar with hot water and as much Borax as can be dissolved into the water, then re-submerge the feet in the new mix (done). It should stay in there for 24 hours. Tomorrow they graduate to "preserved" and just need to be rinsed and dried. Once they are dried, it's just a matter of brushing the fur out and then putting some kind of cap or decoration to cover the severed end. Of course nothing is ever "that easy" so I anticipate some kind of hiccup. I'm not sure what to use as a cap, but I'm sure with a little ingenuity we will find something. I have four back feet, four front feet, and two tails. I will certainly update as the process goes along, and we will see if this very simple process is indeed a method to continue!

Today was the first day of school for the four oldest kids. Everyone got up without a problem, we got out to the end of the driveway on time, and the bus was there just two minutes past pick up time (not bad for the first day). They're the first ones on the bus in the morning. I went with them today to the bus stop just to make sure everything went well.

The school system at our previous house required bus passes which noted the students name, address, school, pick up and drop off location and pick up and drop off times. I'm not sure if this school has a similar system of not, but we didn't get any bus tags or even a letter with what buses they'd be expected to be on. That's a little nerve-racking for kids with Asperger's. I got a text at 3:22 from #2 asking me which bus he's supposed to get on. I felt so helpless in that moment, because I didn't have the answers for him. I replied that he'd need to ask a teacher or bus driver to get it figured out. Fortunately this school district seems to have their bases covered and they had people out at the bus stop helping kids who looked confused. Kids made it home safely.

​In the meantime, I washed laundry, did dishes, finished bunny chores, restocked the hay cart (which only holds enough for one day), and spent some time with #5, who is too young to go to school.

After I post this blog I'll be searching for recipes for rabbit on the grill. Tony didn't like the rabbit stew I made last time (though everyone else thought it was delicious), so this time we will try a different preparation.

The dehydrated ears were hit and miss. I gave one set to Moose and he seemed excited to get it, but wasn't sure what to do with it. He did eat it over night when nobody was looking. The other set went to the cats in the bathroom. They nibbled some of the ears, but then left the rest. If they don't finish it by the time we go back to visit my parents, I'm tempted to bring it along for my brother's dog (who would love to chase {and kill} rabbits if it weren't for his fenced yard space). I'm sure he would appreciate dehydrated rabbit pieces. I'm not so sure my mother would approve though.

I suspect the issue with Josh and the ducks may be resolved now. The last few days they've been allowed out to patrol the yard, nibble grass, and chase each other around, completely free-range. Today I noticed the ducks trying to climb in and groom themselves in the water bucket, so I asked Tony to bring home our little kiddie pool we'd left at my parents' house after the family reunion last year. When he got home with it after work, #3 immediately set to filling it up. Alas, nobody seemed interested in this new water-holding feature in the yard. So Tony had the bright idea to catch a duck and set it in the water.

After much laughing as he herded the ducks around the yard and through the barn, Tony did succeed in separating the two ducks. Tweak walked around the outside of the barn while Leonardo and Tony battled for best moves in the barn. Finally, I went in and picked Leonardo up (it's easier to catch a duck with two people). I brought Leonardo out to the pool, set him in gently, and he paddled his feet a bit. As soon as I let go he flapped away toward Josh, who had been watching from the other side of the container garden.

But much to my surprise (and admitted instantaneous panic), Josh didn't run away. Instead he grabbed Leonardo by the back, between the wings, and started slamming him repeatedly into the ground. I was sure Josh had snapped and was going to kill the duck, but my husband signaled me to wait and see what happened. After several tense moments, Josh released Leonardo, who went racing for the safety of the barn, and his companion Tweak. There were maybe four feathers lost in the ordeal, and Leonardo is just fine.

A minute later, Tweak and Leonardo came out of the barn, and Tweak made a bee-line for Josh, with Leonardo hesitantly following. It was a full on battle of the birds. Tweak attacked Josh, Josh did the same thing he'd done to Leonardo, and Leonardo got in cheap shots biting Josh's butt as he fought with Tweak. In the end, Tweak and Leonardo were both running for the barn, and Josh had a beak full of feathers. Josh stopped at the doorway to the barn, flapped his wings, made a victorious call, and spit out all the feathers, before immediately taking a nice long bath in the new pool.

Josh, taking a victory bath. Note the pile of feathers in the bottom corner of the photo - Those were Leonardo's.

Tony was able to get a video of the victory bath too. Josh seems pretty pleased with himself. Don't mind Moose barking in the background. He isn't happy to have to be tied up when the birds are out, but I'm afraid he'd be a little too excited to chase (and possibly kill) them.

It is yet to be seen how the interactions will go from here. I'm interested to see how tomorrow goes when we let them out again. Will the ducks attack again? Or has Josh regained his leader status for good? I will try to update tomorrow!

Before all the hubbub with the ducks, Josh was a naughty goose. He walked along the edge of the container garden and nibbled the stem of my okra plant. I asked him what he was doing. He moved over and nibbled another, smaller plant. Then he moved over and snapped this one right off! Darn it Josh! That wasn't very nice! That's one less Banana Supreme pepper plant. I took the two peppers off and brought them in. They weren't ripe yet, but I hope we can still use them for something.

Today I let Elsa be out in the grass pen. I moved her whole cage out there so she'd have her water bottle and bowl of food just in case. She doesn't always deal with change well. She did seem to enjoy her day though. Elsa preferred to dig in the corner as opposed to nibbling grass. To each their own preference I guess. At least she got some sunshine and time to enjoy rabbit things.

Today I also took the time to sanitize everyone's water dishes! One bucket of vinegar water, one of clean warm water. Each dish goes in the vinegar water for a quick soak and good scrub before being dunked in the rinse water and returned to the cage. I also took the time to clean out the old hay that was sticking to the bottoms in a couple of cages.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get some cleaning done, maybe sort out the area behind the bunny barn to be used for the manure and used hay for future garden endeavors, and perhaps I can get Tony to repair the front steps on his day off. But then again, my Mom also has the day off and there may be a plan in motion to finally pack up the pieces of the play set and haul them to the new house. There always seems to be more work than there is time to accomplish it all. Which should be stressful, but for some reason it feels good to know I won't run out of projects.

Gypsy, cleaning her paws

Gypsy is doing well. She continues to be housed with Neelix when she's not supervised. I let her run the barn while I'm doing bunny chores, and whenever I'm out there for other stuff. Today was the first time she actually wandered off to be independent for a few minutes instead of just following me around or being close by and watching me. She went off to the side and watched the ducks for a while and washed her paw. Josh pecked her again today. I honestly don't know why he's doing this. Perhaps he sees her as some kind of a threat? I will feel better when she's bigger and can get away from him. Until then, she's under my protection while loose in the barn.

Tomorrow may be "the big day" when we leave the barn doors open and let Josh, Leonardo, and Tweak out of the bunny barn for the first time. I'm really worried about everything that can go wrong. Moose might chase them (or kill them), a predator could take them out, or they might not want to come back to the barn once they discover the lake. I've been feeding them only at night, and keeping Moose away from the barn as much as possible. I will be putting him on a chain tomorrow if we let the birds out just to be sure they have at least that much better odds.

Tonight we did a late night speed round of temperament testing the harlequin kits with #5. He attempted to hold all five harlequin kits (one at a time). Nefertiti calmed down pretty quick but was a little squirmy (he asked if we could keep her and I said no). Nuri and Nardol were too squirmy for him to hold on his own. Oona was easy to hold and didn't squirm or scratch. Octavius was fairly calm, didn't really squirm much and didn't scratch. But when asked which one he enjoyed holding, he said Oona was his favorite to hold. I suspect this may be because she's smaller than the others and thus easier for his little arms to hold on to.

I got updated photos of Elizabeth's litter, and Caduci's little half lop kits today, and separated Snowflake and Feather's litters by gender with Elizabeth's into the grow out pens with Alice and Fern's last kits too. There are now 15 bucks and 15 does in the grow out pens, not including Kin and Kai, Lilith and Lorelei, and Jensen who are in three more cages. And I haven't separated Caduci from her babies yet as they are still nursing, and she is still allowing it.

Josh continues to live in fear of Leonardo and Tweak. I don't understand what could have possibly happened that first night to reverse the rolls like this. Unfortunately the lady we got them from doesn't have any more geese available right now. I only found one ad on Craigslist for someone selling geese, and they want $20 for Chinese and $25 for African geese. The ad is almost three weeks old, so I replied and inquired. They said they have a female Chinese goose available. Tony seems to think that if I let the birds out of the barn the dynamic may change. I'm worried that once they're out of the barn they'll never come back again. I mean, why come back into the barn for store-bought feed when you have all natural fresh food from the lake? I've been only feeding them at night per the advice of another farmer to train them to know that food is only available at night - so they will want to come back.

I'm also thinking that Moose will have to be on a chain once the birds leave the barn. He is too interested in them. Yesterday he pushed past #4 to get into the bunny barn (where he knows he is not allowed and has not come in uninvited before) to try to chase the goose. He didn't get far and when he saw me he turned tail and raced out the door. He knew right away he'd done wrong, but it didn't stop him from doing it.

And last night Moose chased a cat around the yard when I let him out for his last potty break of the night. He didn't come back when called. I won't risk my livestock because he doesn't like to listen when he sees something to chase. It was so odd because we have five cats in the house and he doesn't chase them. In fact if ever he thought it wise to try to chase them, I think most of them would put claws in his snoot to teach him otherwise. I don't know why he would chase a random cat in the yard. Or why said cat didn't teach him a lesson. I wish it would have turned around and slapped him with a clawed foot. He'd have thought twice before doing it again. I put food out in case the cat comes back.

Tonight Tony brought home more of the container plants from the old house. The garden here is looking full, but hardly anything is producing. We have one okra, some tomatoes, a couple peppers, and two tiny watermelons that aren't likely to reach maturity. The tomatoes and melons are flowering, but I'm not sure there's enough time left in the season. Weather forecast already says we'll be expecting lows in the 40's by next week!

Romanssa the bunny, 6 weeks + 2 days old

Here are some of the cuties I photographed today. Romanssa the doe and Rocket the buck. I love their face markings, they're adorable.

Much to my surprise, this morning when I went out to the barn to do bunny chores, roles had reversed. Josh is no longer the dominant bird in our small flock. Now Tweak, the duck with more white on the back, is dominant. He chases Josh around trying to pull out his tail feathers. Leonardo, the more brown-backed duck will follow Tweak around, but won't partake in the harassment of the gander. I sent a message to the lady we bought them from this evening to see if she might have some insight into why they're suddenly squabbling, or how I might be able to settle the bullying down a notch. So far nobody has gotten hurt, no tail feathers have been lost. Just a lot of chasing through the barn and ducks and goose on opposite sides. Josh (the goose) has discovered a corner platform in the bunny barn that is about two or three inches raised from the ground and the ducks have a little problem stepping up to get to him, so he stays up there a lot. Not the greatest set up because now he's pooping on the wood raised part instead of the dirt floor... but they'll be free range starting Tuesday. With any luck they will come back to the barn at night (or that's the plan anyway), for predator protection when it gets dark.

Today was a nice, sunny, warm day. A little humid toward the end of the day, but beautiful views of the lake today! We took #1's friends back home and bought more supplies while we were in town, before coming back to install the new mailbox.

View from the end of the driveway at sunset

After three trips to get various pieces and parts on three different days, we finally installed our mailbox this evening just as the sun started to go down. It's official, we live here now!

We are again watching my father-in-law's dog, Mattie. She's on a roll already. She'd been here no more than 15 minutes before she pooped on the carpet in the living room (after being allowed outside to go potty when she arrived). The next day (yesterday) she attacked Moose and left a puncture wound in his eyebrow. He's a lot bigger than she is, and she's old and arthritic. If he wanted to, he could have done a lot of damage, but instead he only growled and rolled to try to get away from her. Flash forward to last night/this morning when Tony had to run downstairs to investigate a grating noise. It was Mattie, chewing up our brand new garbage can trying to get at leftovers. She will not be staying with us in the future.

​On a good note, Penelope's babies are all fat and doing well. Even the runt has a fat little tummy.